Bedroom Reveal

It's been a little while since I've blogged, but I'm back today to share this small montage I put together of our bedroom/bathroom reveal. The house is an ever evolving thing, so I'm sure it won't always be like this and there a several small things that need to be done. After 2 long years, we are over the moon with the results. Here's the video....
 

Let me know if you'd like to see videos of the other rooms as they are "finished".

A special thanks to Allegra Rhodes for sending me the divine bath and body products to try. They look so beautiful in the bathroom and smell even more incredible...like a fine French Fragrance. Here's a link to their website if you'd like to spoil yourself, or someone special. http://www.allegrarhodes.com.au/

Till next time.

Photos for Etsy (maybe) and new things

Just a quick post today. I've been playing around with photos on the computer and was toying with the idea of an Etsy shop. 

Would love some feedback. This is the shabby style I've been playing with using flowers from our garden.

What do you think?

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. 

This is a new thing for me that I've wanted to do for ages.
I'm on a roll with new things lately...so I thought why not?

Speaking of new things, I'll be back later (much later) tonight with my newest change that has left me aching today.
see you soon.

Blonde Ambition

G'day...it's me again. How's this cold weather treating you? If you're in my part of the world, you're probably freezing your assets off at the moment......I just can't keep warm...I'm a freak. 

And to my lovely friends and family on the other side of the world...half you're luck...wish I was there. I get beautiful pictures from Santa Monica on a daily basis and I am green with envy....

But today I don't want to talk about green, I want to share with you my thoughts on being a blonde......no blonde jokes please, I've heard them ALL!

I've been blonde all of my life, except a few times that I experimented with colour. I was brunette and auburn for a while (no ranga jokes either!!), but they never really suited me...sometimes you've just gotta go with what you've got. These days though, some enhancement is required....lol

As you may know from several posts here and here on this blog and on my Facebook page, that I am a HUGE John Freida fan, a lot of you must be too...it's my second most popular post(s) apart from Nude Make-Up ...could you imagine if I did a post called Nude Blonde ...lol...erm, yup, that's a whole different kinda blog.


 Anyway, I now have some more lovely JF products to tell you about...especially if you're a blonde like myself.....or if you know a blonde ;) 

The John Freida Sheer Blonde Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner is my favourite. It smells DIVINE...white tea...mmmmmm

They say you can see a contrast in 1 use and I think they're spot-on. My hair is really shiny after using this too. It contains highlight optimisers to smooth and mend the porous areas of each strand. It restores hair’s healthy texture so light can shine though while sunflower and white tea complex brings out glistening highlights 

for a maximum blonde impact. Sounds good to me.....

One of the most annoying things for me is the lighter blonde tones in my hair can occasionally look a bit brassy and I hate that...
.........so to the rescue comes the John Freida Sheer Blonde Colour Renew tone correcting shampoo & conditioner. 
It renews colour by reversing the look of damage and helps protect blonde from fading. The formula contains UV Filter, lavender and Optical Brightener that protects salon fresh blonde for longer and instantly reverses brassiness and damage from colouring. It deeply moisturises without weighing down the hair. Formulated with Optical Brightener and lavender technology, it converts UV rays to a white-blue light, making colour-treated hair appear lighter and 
brighter. Love this too...it also smells delish..

If you want to keep that summery blonde a little longer between hairdresser visits, you might want to pick up some of this, it's the John Frieda SHEER BLONDE® Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray. It  has a breakthrough formula that gradually lightens and brightens blonde tones. The point and spray formula gives you complete control letting you choose where you want to lighten up and how much you want to lighten. The spray is enriched with citrus and chamomile and works in combination with heat to effectively lighten blonde hair, brighten highlights and blend roots. Hydrogen peroxide provides enhanced lightening benefits for more dramatic blonde effects and a light polymer ensures the spray spreads evenly to control lightening effects. Ideal for blending roots between salon visits or achieving the shade you desire, the formula works to effectively enhance the lightening benefits of the Sheer Blonde® Shampoo and Conditioner. I've put the video from John Freida's youtube channel here at the end of this post so you can see how it works...I've tried it too and it really brings out the blonde. Such a handy item just before you blow dry your hair.

Yup, me as a pickle. 

And now...
see, I told you I was shy.........

I had a few reddish foils put through recently...just for a change. What do you think? Keep it or lose it?
I can never make up my mind...
I have hair commitment issues.......................

How about you?

Do you change you hair on a regular basis?

or is it just me?

Disclosure: This product was provided for editorial consideration. 3pickles has no affiliation with any companies mentioned and has received no remuneration for posting this review. All opinions are those of the author.

Australian Wildflowers & other things that grow

It's the most beautiful day here in Melbourne. We haven't seen this weather for a while (my eyes hurt from that big yellow thing in the sky). Our garden is a bit hit and miss at the moment. The silverbeet (swiss chard) is doing really well and my tomatoes are getting stronger everyday, especially since most of the frosty mornings have gone (fingers crossed).  I haven't really grown many things very successfully from seed before, so I thought it was time to give it a go. Burke's backyard magazine had some free Santorini tomato seeds on the cover of a recent issue that are supposed to be very hardy and hopefully Mrs3P proof....hmmm we'll see. I started them off in the cold frame, along with a few different types of lettuce and some cherry tomatoes too. The lettuce was planted out last week, but they're ALL gone!! I think it might be those darstedly possums. Will have to come up with a new plan.

 Can you see the drinking straw "cast" on the burpless cucumber? Mr3P being very sweet in an attempt to save this guy who was ready to been thrown out by the Bunnings man. There's some basil ready to be planted out next to the tomatoes soon too...they make great companion plants...and taste yummy together in bruschetta......mmmm
 Will keep you posted on their progress if you're interested.

 I don't know what this plant is called (I know it's an Australian native), but we've waited for a long, long time for flowers. Very pretty....no smell

 Speaking of smells........lol  We popped down to the local arboretum after school so the pickles could spend some more time with their cousin (who flew home today). My BIL who is an electrician has been visiting from QLD and helping us with the extension (more update pics due soon)

   I'm pretty sure this is called a kangaroo paw. It looks like it's made from velvet.

    There are stacks of ducks that hang out at the arboretum, this guy was not shy at all.

The pickles and I love walking around this little lake. I have been here a gazillion times, but every time I come, I ALWAYS comment how beautiful the view is. That's the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in the BG.

                   Another Aussie wildflower...and yep, I don't know what this is called either, but it's              pretty.... right?

When Mr3P buys me flowers, (which is usually only when I give birth) which BTW "the shop is closed" on that one. Anyway, when he does, he always gets me Australian Wildflowers...he knows how much I love them.

Now, I DO know what this is!! It's a type of Eucalyptus (gum) tree. I believe it could be a ghost gum, due to the whitish colouring. It looks like there is a big, fat ant on one of the branches...but it's a duck.

There is a "secret garden" here (not much of a secret if you ask me as there is a huge sign that tells you where it is?????????? The garden gate has these beautiful fairies carved all over it.

            I don't think I would have the patience to do this kind of work. 

I can't help wonder what the artist was thinking about while they worked patiently on this piece. If it was me, it would be the grocery list, how much washing needs to be folded tonight...I must call Vanessa...what should I make for dinner??....I wish this stupid song from that ridiculous commercial would stop repeating itself in my head

...............um, sorry...where was I?

Linking to

Windows {extension update}

Hooray, we have nearly all of the windows in!

And some potted colour on this sunny Melbourne day.

Have a great day!

Linking to 

A Beach Cottage

Garden in Winter

I've spent a fair bit of time around home these past few weeks, tending to sick kids (big and small). The Melbourne weather has kept us indoors a lot too. So just this week I ventured out into the wild jungle which is also known as my garden...to get close to nature. Thought I'd share a few pics with you.

This seed pod was sitting on my kitchen window sill and I've been starring at it for a week.

I've been googling lemon recipes left, right and centre. Got any good ones?

Would you like some lemons? This tree is bursting with lemons and it's hard to keep up. I've made so much lemonade lately (recipe here), but now I need to start freezing the juice as the lemons are just dropping off the tree.

My first little strawberry plant. It's a Nellie Kelly. I haven't planted it out yet, poor little thing is just patiently waiting in the cold frame for me to get to it.

We planted spring onions years ago and they just keep on a comin'. I love when they start to go to seed and you can see all the little seeds beneath the surface.

I'm not the only one who loves these little guys.

These camellias are my neighbours, they hang over our fence. We had to remove our beautiful camellia tree so we could start the extension. You can read about that here.

When I use my Macro filters, the rocks look a bit like Uluru. well, kinda, sorta, if you squint a little....OK squint a lot.

These are those little Mexican doll flowers that have also gone into hibernation.

My parents gave us this garden bench about a million years ago. We've stained it a few times, but it is very exposed to the elements. I like it's patina...what do you think?

I know the Dandelion is considered a weed, but I've always been a fan of the underdog.......

The wattle just keeps kickin' on

These little flowers grow on a hedge in the front yard. They're about the size of a M&M.

The smell great too!

The bark from this Eucalyptus tree is like soft, thick, paper. It freaks me out to touch it...it's a childhood spider experience I once had.

I don't know what kind of berries these are, but I'm pretty sure they're not edible. Did you ever see the movie "Blue Lagoon"? , whenever I see these berries I think of that movie where they refer to them as "Never wake up berries". Funny the little things that stay in our heads.

We've been getting a little more work done on the extension. I'll blog about it tomorrow.
See ya.

linking to

Kirsty Girl